25+ Lucrative Mining Business Ideas And Opportunities in Nigeria

25+ mining business ideas and opportunities
25+ mining business ideas and opportunities

The mining industry in Nigeria continues to grow and draw more media attention yearly. While accounting for just 0.3% of the country’s GDP, it remains a lucrative one, as the future holds even more prospects.

The greatly underdeveloped state of the mining industry causes Nigeria to import a bulk of her minerals, which could have been produced locally. Its neglect was largely caused by the discovery of oil in 1956. This affected the mineral extraction industries and caused the government’s focus to shift far off from mineral resources to oil & gas.

Many years have long passed and the value of different mineral resources have jumped several times more than they were years ago, thereby creating a very abundant, lucrative, and largely untapped market for people who love to exploit ignored business opportunities.

If you’re thinking of starting a business in the mining industry, here are 25+ mining business ideas and opportunities you can exploit:

See Also: 35+ Lucrative Oil & Gas Business Ideas And Opportunities in Nigeria And Africa

 

1). Gold Mining:

Gold deposits are largely found in the Northen parts of Nigeria. They can be found close to Maru, Anka, Malele, Tsohon Birnin Gwari-Kwaga, Gurmana, Bin Yauri, Okolom-Dogondaji, and Iperindo.

Ever since the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC) was set up during the 1980s to mine for Gold, the government’s preference for easy money from oil & gas caused a neglect in the corporation, leading to a lack of funds, till an eventual failure.

If you have the capacity to get investors for a gold mining corporation, its global demand and high-rise value makes it an opportunity to explore.

 

2). Coal Mining:

Nigeria has extremely large coal reserves estimated to be worth at least 2 billion metric tons. The country’s coal abundance, especially in areas like Enugu state, Anambra, Kogi, Delta, Gombe, and Benue, makes it another lucrative mining opportunity for deep-pocket individuals to venture into.

See Also: 10 Hot Supply Chain Business Opportunities In Nigeria

 

3). Columbite Wolframite and Tantalite Mining:

Columbite Wolframite and Tantalite are used in the production of niobium and tantalum elements, which are also known as Coltan in Africa. They are also used as a source of precious stones like beryl, aquamarine, and tourmaline, and as such, makes it a highly valuable mineral.

 

4). Iron Ore Mining:

Over 3 billion tons of iron ore are found in Kogi, Enugu, Niger, Zamfara and Kaduna States. Despite this high figure, the large deposits of iron ores in Kogi and Enugu have not been fully explored.

Iron ore can be used in making steel, engineering works, transformers, motor cars, metals for electrical shielding, equipment racks, electromagnetic devices, electric bells, and several other products.

See Also: 7 Hot Industries for Starting a Business Right Now

 

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5). Bitumen Mining:

Bitumen is another mineral resource, with Nigeria having an estimated 38 billion barrels of it and a minimum reserve of about 16 billion barrels in Ondo state alone. They are also known as oil sands, have not yet been exploited, and are said to be a future source of revenue for the Nigerian economy.

Most bitumen deposits are found in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and Edo State.

 

6). Limestone Mining:

Limestones have a vast number of usages including but not limited to building materials, cement, glass, and to purify iron in blast furnaces. Its wide uses makes it a business opportunity to engage in.

See Also: The Crude Oil Marketing Business In Nigeria: Complete Guide For Buyers & Sellers

 

7). Lead/Zinc Mining:

It is estimated that Nigeria has over 10 million tons of lead and over 80,000 tons of Zinc spread across the country. They mostly occur together and are often linked to copper and silver.

Lead/Zinc can be used in ammunition, ceramics, television tubes, nuclear shields, and for so many other purposes, making its market demand sizeable.

 

8). Granite Mining:

Granite is a very hard stone that is used in building and construction works worldwide.It is a widely occurring rock and is distributed globally for various construction projects. It is available in Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Plateau, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and more, making granite one of the most available and affordable building materials.

See Also: 10+ Legal Requirements For An Import And Export Business in Nigeria

 

9). Kaolin Mining:

Kaolin minerals, also known as clay minerals, is an industrial mineral that can be found in commercial quantities in Nigeria. It is estimated that Nigeria has over 2 billion metric tons of Kaolin spread across the country, including but not limited to areas like Ogun, Edo, Plateau and Nassarrawa States.Kaolins can either be sold raw or in processed forms.

Kaolins can either be sold raw or in processed forms.

 

10). Gemstone Mining:

Gemstones like sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, topaz, garnet, amethyst, zircon and much more, are available in large quantities in Nigeria. Paraiba tourmalines found in Oyo state, for instance, can sell for as high as $5,000 per karat, while a karat of Ruby could sell for as high as $10,000, depending on the quality.

The abundance of Gemstones in Nigeria makes it a lucrative business opportunity for prospective investors with deep pockets.

See Also: 35+ Profitable Small Scale Manufacturing Business Ideas You Can Start Today

 

11). Glass-Sand Mining:

Glass-Sand, also known as Silica Sand/Quartz, is widely used in industries and factories that manufacture glass. Some of the glasses they’re used to manufacture are sheet glasses for windows, bottles, mirrors, optical instruments, chemical apparatus, electrical insulation and condensers, pipe, doors, crucibles, automobile and aircraft bodies, filters and building blocks.

 

12). Haulage And Logistics:

This involves the transportation of minerals and products from mining sites to other locations. You can play different haulage roles in the mining industry, while building a wide network of organizations to serve.

See Also: 8 Ways to Reduce Transportation Costs in Nigeria — And Grow Your Profits

 

13). Safety Services:

Safety consultants ensure nothing goes wrong during a mining operation. They’re experts at what they do, and mining corporations hire them to provide safety services in their mines.

 

14). Blogging / Magazine:

Asides owning a mine, you can also start a blog or magazine that focuses exclusively on mineral resources. Here you could talk about the industry opportunities, trends, news, job openings, and a whole lot more.

See Also: How To Start A Blog — The Complete Beginner Guide

 

15). Mining Training Institute:

Another way to venture into the industry is to start up a mining training institute. Here, you can run courses that focus on different parts of the industry, train potential engineers, and also groom prospective mining CEOs.

 

16). Mining Enterprise Software Applications:

You could build an enterprise software solution that makes the operations of running a mine easier for the management. This solution could further be licensed to various mines or sold as a whole to companies.

See Also: 5 Lucrative Fast-Moving Consumer Goods You Should Invest In Today

 

17). Equipment Sales:

Mines require large equipment to run. You could take advantage of this opportunity by venturing into the manufacturing, distribution, or sales of equipment and machinery required in mines.

 

18). Equipment Leasing:

While every equipment is essential, most mines cannot afford to purchase all the critical equipment, and in a bid to meet up with their operating capacity, they go on to lease equipment and machinery to run their operations.

With a substantial capital, you can purchase critical equipment specific to different mining sectors, and place them on a lease.

See Also: 20 Lucrative Medical Business Ideas For Healthcare Professionals

 

19). Equipment Servicing:

This service is for engineers who have a wide understanding of how mining equipment work. If you’re not one, you can partner with some engineers to start up an equipment servicing company in the mining industry.

 

20). Waste Management:

You could start up a waste management company in the mining industry. An example is to run a coy that cleans gold dust from inside mine shafts.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Plastic Recycling Company In Nigeria (Comprehensive Guide + E-Book)

 

21). Mining Legal Services:

You could run a law firm that focuses heavily on the mining industry, and establish yourself as the go-to expert for any issues that arises in the industry.

 

23). Mining Consulting:

If you’ve worked in a mining corporation for many years, or know someone who has, you could partner up and launch a mining consulting business. By doing this, you’ll leverage the many years of experience either you or your partner has, and grow a successful business from it.

See Also: Starting A Consultancy Services Business? Here Are 10 Ways To Land Your First Client

 

24). Brokerage Services:

You could start a brokerage business, where you link buyers and sellers of mineral resources. An example would be to broker the sale of gold with international bullion banks and get a commission on every Karat sold.

See Also: The Ultimate Guide To Starting A Crude Oil Brokerage Business (Crude Oil Selling) In Nigeria And Africa

 

Some Other Business Ideas & Opportunities In The Mining Industry Are:

25). Mining Medical Services

26). Mining Recruitment Agency

27). Mining TV Show

28). Mining Radio Talk Show

See Also: How To Find Real Crude Oil Sellers And Buyers In Nigeria

 

What are your thoughts on these 25+ mining business ideas and opportunities in Nigeria? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

 

Stan Edom
Stan Edom
I'm an entrepreneur with expertise in supply chain management, international trade, small business development, e-commerce, internet startups, renewable energy, and agriculture. I'm also a network engineer, I.T security expert, and computer programmer. In my spare time when I'm not working out at the gym, I try to solve problems people face in their everyday lives with whatever means necessary.

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27 Comments

  1. wonderful pleas how can I star a goals business
    cos am interested in buying and sell of gold but I don’t know to start from.kindly put me through

  2. I mean how can I start a gold business,cos am interested in buying and selling of gold but I don’t know where to start from kindly out me through.

  3. This excerpt is quite insightful and orienting.. Can I please know an avennue to get oriented the more about going into mining, because I need to start investing in that enterprise. Thank You

    • Hi Victor,

      We can’t directly recommend any, but we will announce focus groups as the year runs by.

      Thank you.

  4. Interesting piece you have here. The Nigerian mining sector is indeed one huge untapped market and one area that presents strong investment case is the establishment of processing facilities. There are few of these facilities in the country at the moment, hence most solid minerals exploited are exported in their raw states and at lower prices. Investors with the resources and interest will make fortune by investing in Solid Mineral Processing Plants even in small scale.

  5. Thank you, I am planning to start safety services in Wafi – Golpu newly gold mine as in business spin off.

  6. hi guys Im interested in starting safety sevice /equipment sevicing/ waste management u
    in a neaby mine so please guide me

  7. Very insightful, thumbs up.
    Am working on providing brokerage service and logistics in the industry. If your have expertise in that area, let’s talk.

  8. Fantastic piece well researched and very resourceful. I am a novice in this field and will relish the opportunity to key into solid minerals and services around it.

    I am based in Europe but the major problem is how to attract investors to key into this enterprise considering the negative image some unpatriotic Nigerians had created in the minds of outsiders.

    I will appreciate if you can guide me towards associations or networking groups who are interested in solid mineral.
    Thanks, and looking forward to more insightful articles from you

    • Good day Mr. Olu.
      One of the major issue discouraging investors are bankable mineral data, it’s is a good thing that the federal government is investing more is quantify the minerals in different cadatrials.
      If you have investor serious about mining, I have access to alot of minning sites with minerals in commercial quantities.
      We can rub minds on this.
      Cheers.

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